Recreation Space or Urban Land Reserve? Land-Use Zoning Patterns and the Transformation of Open Space in Hong Kong
Publication: Journal of Urban Planning and Development
Volume 142, Issue 3
Abstract
Open space planning is a common issue in urban studies. Under development pressures and urbanization, open space is prone to manipulation and erosion by governments and developers to achieve material gains and parochial interests. This paper contributes to the ongoing discussions about open space development using Hong Kong as an empirical case. The vulnerability of open space and the flexible planning regulation in the use of open space land are highlighted through an examination of existing open space zoning patterns and the planning application data for land-use changes. It is argued that open space tends to act as public land reserves rather than serving the original planning intention of recreation under the current open space planning system. This empirical finding is useful for planners to reconsider the effectiveness of the open space planning system and open space protection.
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Acknowledgments
The authors are grateful for the comments from the anonymous reviewers. This study is sponsored by the General Research Fund of Hong Kong Research Grants Council (Project No. 527910), Hong Kong Polytechnic University Research Grant (Project No. G-U606), and University of Hong Kong Postgraduate Scholarship.
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Published In
Journal of Urban Planning and Development
Volume 142 • Issue 3 • September 2016
Copyright
© 2016 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Oct 7, 2014
Accepted: Sep 11, 2015
Published online: Feb 1, 2016
Discussion open until: Jul 1, 2016
Published in print: Sep 1, 2016
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